Arrest drug lords, not addicts, says Amarinder
Saturday, 31/05/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140531/punjab.htm#7
Patiala : Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has dubbed the police drive against drug addicts as an alleged political stunt aimed at befooling the people who were fed up with the state government.
He said the statewide arrests of drug addicts would serve no purpose till the suppliers and drug lords were not put behind bars.
Amarinder alleged that the Akalis had realised that the people were unhappy with the government over the drug menace and, hence, had launched the crackdown. “They should know that drug addiction is only a symptom while peddling is the main disease. You cannot cure the disease by merely treating the symptoms. As such, these arrests will not serve any purpose till the suppliers are roaming free... The government is dealing with them like criminals. All they need is treatment and rehabilitation, and not the cruel treatment they are being meted out,” he said.
Amarinder said if the drug addicts were not treated for de-addiction, it could even prove fatal for them. “Arresting an addict is no achievement. Let the government say how many suppliers it has put behind bars. The drug lords will find new users and may further spread the scourge as they know how to trap innocent youth,” he said.
